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Accentuate the Positive 2012: Celebrating Successes

Geniaus has once encouraged us to reflect on our achievements in 2012 rather than all the things still on our wish lists or “gunna” lists. She rightly believes we don’t take sufficient notice of our successes in our on-going pursuit for more information. So she’s challenged us to take on the Accentuate the Positive Geneameme to encourage us to celebrate our successes.

So here is my response (inevitably edited to allow more choices!)

1. An elusive ancestor I found wasn’t a direct ancestor but my 2xgreat grandfather’s Ulrich step-siblings in New York State as well as new information on the Dorfprozelten emigrants to Australia.

Two excellent exhibitions at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance in June 2012. Both had personal interest to us.

2 Precious family photos I found were shared at the Melbourne exhibition re Brigadier Walter & Helena Cass –amazing family artefacts for Mr Cassmob and fascinating for me. Also gorgeous photos of St Nicholas of Myra in Dublin thanks to Jennifer from A Flesh and Bone Foundation.

3. An ancestor’s grave I found was renovation was completed in February 2012 with a bronze plaque replicating the information on the (restored) original stone, and adding birth details (thanks to the financial contributions of family members!!).

4. An important vital record I found was the marriage of Denis Gavin and Eleanor Murphy in Dublin thanks to Irish Genealogy (see #6)

5. Newly found family members who shared photos and family stories of the Gavins; the curator and inheritor of the WEH Cass papers, photos and letters. Lots of Dorfprozelten connections and meeting new Cass cousins (not mine, but great fun). (Also see #2)

9. A new piece of software I mastered was adding Translation options to my blog, and recovering at least a good deal of my missing data after my hard drive crashed. My new best friend is Syncback, an easy backup program.

10. A social media tool I enjoyed using for genealogy was Google + though I probably use Twitter more. I can’t live without Google Reader which is where I subscribe to all the blogs I follow and star the posts I particularly like (not strictly social media I guess, but…)

11. Genealogy conferences/seminars/webinar from which I learnt something new were Roots Tech (online), genie visitors to Darwin and Unlock the Past in Brisbane.

18. It was exciting to finally meet some of Aussie geneablogger mates at the Unlock the Past Expo in Brisbane and also at the Kiva Genealogists gathering in Brisbane in March.

19. A geneadventure I enjoyed was returning to Papua New Guinea, recent family history but important nonetheless, visiting family homes and places. Also visiting Melbourne for the WEH Cass exhibition and meeting lots of new Cass cousins (connected through my blog contacts).

13 thoughts on “Accentuate the Positive 2012: Celebrating Successes”

Such a brilliant idea to accentuate the positive, and what a wonderful 2012 you have had. Thank you for the mention of my images of St. Nicholas of Myra; it is very much appreciated. May the new year 2013 bring you more wonderful experiences, further great blog posts, and much happiness.

Pauline a great post. I loved your Beyond series and I still have a few posts to do and they will be posted during 2013. Leaving a series in complete is just not on – its the OCD in me! The How to book you mention looks great and I must add that to my wish list to locate. My contribution is http://anglersrest.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/positive-2012-geneameme.html

hi Julie, I smiled at your OCD comment – I was so tired of it by week 47 but not finishing just wasn’t an option :-) I look forward to your additions from a UK perspective. I notice on Google Books that the how to book only gets 3 stars yet mine is littered with post-it flags and I felt it had a lot to offer.

Thank you so much Pauleen for your support of the meme and your support throughout 2012. What a successful year you have had. I enjoyed reading this summary that recalled for me the great things I read from you during the year.

Now I need to emulate you, reflect on my year and complete my geneameme contribution.

Thanks for your generous words Jill. We all appreciate your contribute to genealogy and highlighting our positives is another way you’ve done that. It’s all too easy to think of the things we planned to do and didn’t, or wanted to and didn’t get to or didn’t find.

I really like the idea of putting a brass plaque on graves. I remember your Queensland rail post as I also have a couple of family members who worked for Queensland Rail. Hope 2013 brings down any brick walls you may have.

I enjoyed reading this. I was a bit late, but my GeneaMeme post is now on ‘Genealogy Leftovers’. Pauleen, one of the highlights of my year was meeting you in person (at last!) Thanks for your many excellent blog posts. I hope you can also spend lots of time on your own research during 2013.

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